I have a perforated eardrum and have recently started swimming again. (I know, maybe I should have repaired the eardrum before getting in the water, but there was no guarantee the repair would work). I'm currently using Mack's, but it's not working to the degree I expected. I'm still getting water in my ear - and it HURTS! Needless to say, I can't keep getting water in my ear (pain aside) I risk infection and other complications.
Since the first day, I haven't been able to recreate the "perfect seal" to keep water out. According to product label, I should also be able to get a few uses out of one earplug before requiring a new one...but no luck. Even a new one didn't work as well the second time as it did the first. Disappointing.
Can anyone recommend an earplug that's fool proof and will keep water out? Or maybe a trick to how to better use what I've got? (I am following product instructions and not forming the plug to my ear canal. I'm using it as a "cap" to the canal.) I'd appreciate the feedback! :)
The injury cannot be pin-pointed...though I have a suspicion as to when/how it happened.
There was no trauma, no known ear infection. And while I have been skydiving within the last couple of years - I don't believe that caused it either.
Iperforated the other eardrum when I was in high school as a result of an unknown ear infection (poor ear drainage). That eardrum repaired itself. Having experienced that pain, I had some recollection when nearly four years ago, I experienced a similar pain - though much less severe and very short lived. While recovering from a kidney donation, about a month after surgery, ended up with a head cold. Coughing and sneezing was still not tolerated so I may have done it during that time when trying to minimize the intensity of a cough or sneeze. I remember having a specific conversation with my mom (mom's remember EVERYTHING) about the symptoms. Since this one was so dramatically different, (no lasting pain) I didn't think anything of it.
It wasn't until February of this year that I started feeling pain (rather than general annoyance - I suspected for a while something wasn't right when I could breathe through my ear) so I went to a clinic. Several doctor visits later, the perforation was discovered. Turns out the ear pain wasn't from the perforation (that was a bonus to have finally been discovered) and the ear pain was really a neck issue (C3 - C7).
The injury cannot be pin-pointed...though I have a suspicion as to when/how it happened.
There was no trauma, no known ear infection. And while I have been skydiving within the last couple of years - I don't believe that caused it either.
Iperforated the other eardrum when I was in high school as a result of an unknown ear infection (poor ear drainage). That eardrum repaired itself. Having experienced that pain, I had some recollection when nearly four years ago, I experienced a similar pain - though much less severe and very short lived. While recovering from a kidney donation, about a month after surgery, ended up with a head cold. Coughing and sneezing was still not tolerated so I may have done it during that time when trying to minimize the intensity of a cough or sneeze. I remember having a specific conversation with my mom (mom's remember EVERYTHING) about the symptoms. Since this one was so dramatically different, (no lasting pain) I didn't think anything of it.
It wasn't until February of this year that I started feeling pain (rather than general annoyance - I suspected for a while something wasn't right when I could breathe through my ear) so I went to a clinic. Several doctor visits later, the perforation was discovered. Turns out the ear pain wasn't from the perforation (that was a bonus to have finally been discovered) and the ear pain was really a neck issue (C3 - C7).
